Families in Ratcliffe Culey and Fenny Drayton can continue to use their local playgrounds after Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council stepped in to secure the leases for the sites. The council also took ownership of four community defibrillators across the villages of Witherley, Fenny Drayton, Atterton, and Ratcliffe Culey to ensure the equipment remains available to the public.
The playgrounds faced the threat of closure in March 2026 after Witherley Parish Council struggled to find insurance coverage. The parish council’s previous insurer, Zurich, refused to renew their policy and described the authority as a moral hazard. Following that decision, every other insurance company approached declined to provide a quote to the parish council.
This situation stems from a long-running governance crisis within Witherley Parish Council that began in 2021. The issues gained national attention after a tribunal judge ruled in May 2024 that the council showed a casual disregard for the duties of a public authority and found it in contempt of court. In the wake of these findings, almost all elected councillors resigned in July 2023, and as of April 2026, the parish council continues to manage seven councillor vacancies.
Stuart Bray, the leader of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, said that the intervention was necessary to protect vital community assets. He noted that once it became clear that the local parish council required additional support, his authority offered to take on responsibility for the facilities to prevent any disruption for residents living in the south-west corner of Leicestershire.
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